Eeli Tolvanen Loaned To Team Finland
Finland’s medal chances at the upcoming World Junior Championship just got a huge upgrade. According to the AHL transactions page, Eeli Tolvanen has been loaned to Finland by the Nashville Predators. Tolvanen has split his time between the Predators and Milwaukee Admirals this season, but will now be away from the organization until early January.
This is a game-changer for the Finnish team, who also recently received Henri Jokiharju to lead their defense corps. Without the likes of Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Miro Heiskanen, the country looked to be in trouble with an extremely young and inexperienced group. Tolvanen changes all that, at least up front, as he brings experience from the last two World Juniors and also participated in the Olympics and World Championships last year. In fact, the teenager actually tied for the Olympic lead in goals and was the only non-Russian player to register more than seven points in the tournament. That kind of international success should be a huge factor as Finland tries to establish itself as a medal contender once again.
After finding huge success for Jokerit last season as a rookie in the KHL, Tolvanen hasn’t had quite the same impact in North America. Though he did register his first NHL goal earlier this season, his time in the minor leagues has been more difficult with just 12 points in 24 games. Getting him into a tournament against his own age group can only do good things for his development at this point, and should spark his offensive game once again.
Minor Transactions: 12/20/18
Though the NHL transaction freeze is now underway, there is bound to be some roster movement throughout the holidays. The freeze only stops teams from trading, waiving or loaning players away from their current roster, and there are certain loopholes. One of those is that any player recalled after December 11th can still be loaned back to the minor leagues, which is why we saw so many teams making paper transactions yesterday. Like always, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves right here.
- Phil Varone is back up with the Philadelphia Flyers after a quick trip to the minor league roster. The team now has some flexibility and will be able to send both Varone and Carter Hart back to the minor leagues if necessary over the break. Varone, who has just five points in his NHL career, is an outstanding offensive player that hasn’t been able to break through at the highest level just yet. He’ll serve as some forward insurance for the club over the next little while.
- After clearing waivers yesterday, Garrett Wilson is on his way to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Wilson was just an injury fill-in for the Pittsburgh Penguins, but will now wait his turn in the minor leagues as Dominik Simon approaches a return to action. The team is allowed to do this because of the timing of Wilson’s waiver stint.
- Tyler Gaudet has been recalled by the Nashville Predators, which according to Paul Skrbina of the Tennessean could mean a trip to injured reserve for Colton Sissons. Gaudet hasn’t played in the NHL since 2016-17, but does have 14 points in 27 games for the Milwaukee Admirals this year.
- As expected, the Arizona Coyotes have recalled Adin Hill and Conor Garland after just a day on the minor league roster. The pair were sent down just to create some more flexibility over the break.
- In Calgary, Buddy Robinson and Ryan Lomberg have been recalled while Kerby Rychel has been sent back to the Stockton Heat. Robinson, 27, brings a huge body up to the Flames as the forward stands 6’6″ but also comes with some skill. With 53 points for the Manitoba Moose last season, Robinson outscored top prospects like Michael Spacek, Nic Petan and Brendan Lemieux.
Tampa Bay Lightning Sign Gabriel Fortier To Entry-Level Contract
The Tampa Bay Lightning are one of the deepest teams in the NHL, and today they got a little deeper. Gabriel Fortier will be able to afford a few more Christmas presents for his friends and family after inking his three-year entry-level contract. The 18-year old is playing for the Baie-Comeau Drakkar of the QMJHL, after being selected in the second round last June.
It’s easy to understand why the Lightning would get Fortier under contract just a few months after drafting him, given his strong performance in the QMJHL once again this season. The undersized forward has 42 points in 34 games, but more impressive maybe is his extremely quick decision making all over the ice. He’s shown some versatility and an ability to play center at times, though like other players in the Tampa system could likely find himself on the wing given the strength in the middle of the ice. That’s likely where he can excel offensively, something that seems routine over the last few years for young Lightning players.
Tampa Bay didn’t have a first round pick this year because of the Ryan McDonagh trade, meaning Fortier was their highest drafted player. He very well could be among the players selected to next year’s World Junior team, though he’ll likely have to take another step in his development to do so. Unless he makes the Lightning out of camp, he will be heading back to the QMJHL in 2019-20 and won’t see his contract kick in right away.
Isac Lundestrom Loaned To Team Sweden
Though he wasn’t included on the preliminary roster for Sweden , Isac Lundestrom is heading to the World Juniors. According to Elliott Teaford of the OC Register, the Anaheim Ducks have loaned Lundestrom to Team Sweden for the upcoming tournament, which beings on December 26th. Lundestrom had been playing in the AHL after suiting up 15 times with the Ducks earlier this year.
Lundestrom’s addition is a huge step towards the gold medal for Sweden, who already had a rock solid defense corps but were inexperienced up front. The 19-year old Ducks prospect will bring some NHL experience along with a long history of international competition. He was part of the Swedish team that barely lost to Canada in the gold medal game a year ago, and previously had won a U17 bronze medal and U18 silver medal in the same year. Lundestrom will be leaned on heavily to drive the play in the offensive zone for his country, just as he was at times this season in Anaheim and San Diego.
Selected 23rd overall in 2018 he surprised many by making the Ducks out of camp as an 18-year old, and was even given the chance to play at center during certain games. That’s high praise for a player who many believed needed several years of seasoning, but perhaps shouldn’t have been shocking given his experience. Lundestrom had already completed two full seasons in the SHL before being drafted, and even got a taste of the men’s professional league during the 2015-16 season. While his absolute ceiling is still a ways off, his polish so far has been spectacular for a player of his age. The World Juniors will be just another chapter in his development, and one which the Ducks hope will take him to another level offensively.
John Klingberg Cleared To Return To Game Action
Though it had been expected since earlier this week, the news was made official today. John Klingberg will return to the Dallas Stars lineup tomorrow night. Klingberg has been cleared by the Stars medical staff and will be reinserted into the lineup against the Chicago Blackhawks. Joel Hanley, who had cleared waivers earlier this week, has been assigned to the minor leagues.
It’s been over a month since Klingberg suited up for the Stars, suffering a hand injury in early November that required surgery. In his stead, young defenseman Miro Heiskanen has stepped up and become the leader on the blue line while Esa Lindell has continued to log big minutes against tough competition. With Klingberg back, the Dallas defense corps will immediately get a huge offensive boost as they wait for some of their injured compatriots to return.
The 26-year old Klingberg finished sixth in Norris Trophy voting last season while establishing a new high in points with 67. Though it’s unlikely he’ll match that total now that he has missed so much time, his near point-per-game pace from the early part of the season should be a welcome addition to the Dallas attack. He had also been logging more minutes than ever before in his career, something that may not continue right away given Heiskanen’s emergence. Still, it’s a huge boost for a Stars team that still has playoff aspirations and sits just a few points out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference. The team is now 17-14-3 on the year and carries a positive goal differential at +1.
Jujhar Khaira To Have Hearing With Department Of Player Safety
The Department of Player Safety has some work to do today, after announcing they will have a hearing with Edmonton Oilers forward Jujhar Khaira today. Khaira cross-checked St. Louis Blues defenseman Vince Dunn in the face after the two had collided and Dunn had delivered a cross-check of his own. For his actions, which appeared to hit Khaira in the shoulder first, Dunn has received a $1,942.20 fine— the maximum allowable under the CBA—but will avoid suspension.
Khaira has established himself as a relatively effective physical bottom-six presence this season, recording 13 points in 33 games. Despite only two of those points being goals, the total actually puts him (amazingly) fifth among all Edmonton forwards in scoring on the season. He’s done that despite averaging fewer than 10 minutes of even-strength ice time per game, and seeing virtually no powerplay time. While he doesn’t project as a big-time scoring threat, that kind of production will be missed on a team that still struggles to find any consistent secondary scoring.
Since the hearing is not of the in-person variety, Khaira will receive a suspension of fewer than five games if at all. It seems likely that he could get one or two given the violent nature of the cross-check, though nothing is certain until the hearing is over.
Gemel Smith, Garrett Wilson Placed On Waivers
Wednesday: Both players have cleared waivers and can now be assigned to the minor leagues.
Tuesday: With the transaction freeze coming into effect tomorrow, the Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins have both placed players on waivers. Gemel Smith and Garrett Wilson find themselves back on the wire again this season according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.
Smith was only claimed by the Bruins less than two weeks ago from the Dallas Stars, a team that could very likely reclaim him and try to send him to the minor leagues. The Stars will be allowed to do so if they are the only team to put in a claim, but that actually may be risky given the upcoming freeze. Any claiming team will not have time to get a different player through waivers and off the roster, though there are obviously other ways to clear roster spots (like injured reserve).
The 24-year old forward played three games for the Bruins since his claim, but registered no points and was a -3. A fringe bottom-six player, he couldn’t provide any punch to a forward group in Boston looking for someone to provide secondary scoring. That was Smith’s problem in Dallas too, as he has recorded just 20 points through 77 games with the Stars.
Wilson on the other hand cleared waivers before the season began, but needed them again given he has played 13 games with the Penguins this year. The veteran minor league forward has 12 points in 12 games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, but only two points in those 13 games with Pittsburgh. Never more than minor league depth, those two points are actually Wilson’s first in the NHL (during the regular season at least), making him not much of a risk to be claimed.
Minor Transactions: 12/19/18
Today is the final day before the holiday roster freeze comes into effect, though there can still be some movement afterwards. Teams are allowed to recall players during the next two weeks, and can also send down any player recalled after December 11th. That would include anyone called up today, meaning we’ll keep our eye on all the minor moves around the league.
- The Chicago Blackhawks have recalled Luke Johnson from the minor leagues while putting Marcus Kruger on injured reserve with a concussion. Kruger suffered the injury last night when he was hit by Nashville Predators forward Ryan Hartman, and will be out indefinitely. Johnson meanwhile returns to the Blackhawks after playing 13 games with the club earlier in the season.
- Phil Varone is on his way back to the minor leagues, loaned from the Philadelphia Flyers to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms today. Varone has played four games for Philadelphia this season but has been held scoreless in each. The veteran forward is a dominant AHL player though, and has 28 points in 22 games for the Phantoms after posting a 70-point season in 2017-18.
- The Arizona Coyotes have sent goaltender Adin Hill and forward Conor Garland back to the minor leagues, though with no corresponding moves yet one or two could be back up quickly. Since Hill and Garland were both originally recalled before December 11th, they would not be able to be sent down during the freeze. Now they will be able to freely move up and down throughout, allowing them to get into game action should Arizona activate some of their injured players.
- The same tact might be taking place in Los Angeles, where Michael Amadio, Sean Walker and Austin Wagner have all been sent down to the AHL. Again, all three players had been recalled prior to December 11th, meaning this move is likely only to create some roster flexibility through the roster freeze.
- In Vegas however, the Golden Knights have recalled Brandon Pirri and had him at practice today with the club. Pirri has been dominating the minor leagues once again, and with Max Pacioretty headed to the injured reserve, the team needed another forward. The 27-year old Pirri once scored 22 goals in just 49 games for the Florida Panthers, but has struggled to find consistent work in the NHL since. This year for the Chicago Wolves, he has 41 points in 28 games and has looked far too capable for the AHL.
- Thomas Hickey has been moved to injured reserve, giving the New York Islanders roster room to recall Devon Toews. The 24-year old Toews has yet to make his NHL debut but is a leader for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers all over the ice. The defenseman has 86 points through 130 minor league games since being a fourth-round pick in 2014, and could give the Islanders a decent puck-moving presence going forward.
- Another Los Angeles Kings player is on his way down, but this time it’s for a conditioning stint. Jack Campbell has been sent to the minor leagues to continue his rehab, an important step on his recovery process from a meniscus injury earlier this year. Campbell is still on injured reserve for the time being.
- Clark Bishop is on his way back to the NHL, as the Charlotte Checkers announced that the rookie forward has been recalled by the Carolina Hurricanes. Bishop, 22, was a fifth-round pick and was never much of an offensive force in his junior years. The two-way center even split his first pro season between the AHL and ECHL. However, Bishop has worked hard and is now a regular call-up for Carolina in his third season. Bishop has two points in 15 games for the ‘Canes this year.
Martin Necas Loaned To Czech World Junior Team
Another game-changing talent has been loaned to the Czech Republic for the upcoming World Junior Championship, as Martin Necas has officially been sent by the Carolina Hurricanes. Necas has been playing in the minor leagues, but will join his countrymen in Vancouver for the tournament and likely play a huge role for the Czech team. Last year, Necas tied for the tournament lead in scoring with 11 points.
The Czech team had already announced that Necas would be part of the team, but until the Hurricanes actually loaned him there they had no say in whether he could attend. Now that he is part of it though, the 19-year old center should form a deadly forward unit with other top options like Filip Zadina, Martin Kaut and Filip Chytil (who hasn’t technically been loaned yet). All four were big parts of the team last year and should be extremely tough to handle throughout the tournament.
Though they were unable to medal last year, the Czech team is not one to sleep on in this time around. With several players who have already made their NHL debuts, and a goaltender like Jakub Skarek that is having an excellent season in the Finnish Liiga, the team could catch fire at any moment. Necas, who has 22 points in 26 games for the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL, will be a huge part of any success.
Poll: Who Will Win The 2019 World Junior Championship?
Tonight in Kelowna, British Columbia, Russia and Sweden battle it out in the first pre-tournament game for the upcoming World Junior Championship. This tournament, made up of under-20 players from around the world, is one of the premiere international competitions in the world of hockey and brings with it plenty of intrigue. NHL fans in particular get a glimpse of the next wave of superstars, often before they’re even drafted. That’s no different this year, where the tournament will feature several exceptional talents scheduled to go in the 2019 or 2020 entry drafts.
Last year, Canada defeated Sweden in a memorable final game to secure the gold medal on Tyler Steenbergen‘s first goal of the tournament. St. Louis Blues forward Jordan Kyrou led the Canadians in scoring with ten points in seven games, while Ottawa Senators prospect Drake Batherson scored a team-leading seven goals. Colorado Avalanche fans got a look at two of their own top prospects in Cale Makar and Conor Timmins, while newly minuted Philadelphia Flyers starting goaltender Carter Hart was the star in net. Amazingly, only a single player will return from that team for Canada in Max Comtois as most of the others have either aged out of the tournament, are dealing with injury or were withheld by their NHL teams.
Canada isn’t the only medal favorite though, as several other countries are bringing explosive lineups of their own. The discussion has to start with the United States, where Quinn and Jack Hughes are set to be the talk of the tournament. Quinn, the elder brother and a defenseman selected by the Vancouver Canucks seventh overall in June, is having an outstanding sophomore season at the University of Michigan and is expected to turn pro afterwards. Jack, the younger and a center, is expected to go first-overall in the 2019 draft to whoever wins the lottery.
Finland has the presumptive second-overall pick playing for their group in Kaapo Kakko, but also got some great news today when Henri Jokiharju was loaned from the Chicago Blackhawks. Jokiharju should be a difference maker for the Finnish team, who also should be strong in net with Buffalo Sabres prospect Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. Sweden doesn’t have the firepower up front of some previous years, but is an absolute powerhouse on defense even without the injured Timothy Liljegren. The five-man offensive units should be more than strong enough with the likes of Erik Brannstrom and Adam Boqvist jumping into the rush.
The Czech Republic got some great news when Filip Zadina was cleared of injury, and after getting some experience at the AHL level he should be even more dangerous this time around. Russia meanwhile will bring another strong mostly 19-year old group to Vancouver, and have some AHL experience of their own in Klim Kostin who was loaned by the St. Louis Blues.
In all, this should be another outstanding tournament filled with exceptional talents. Cast your vote below on who you think will win the whole thing, and then tune in on December 26th to see it all kick off.
Who will win the 2019 WJC?
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Canada 49% (553)
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USA 27% (308)
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Finland 9% (101)
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Sweden 5% (55)
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Russia 4% (50)
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Czech Republic 2% (21)
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Kazakhstan 2% (17)
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Slovakia 1% (10)
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Switzerland 1% (6)
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Denmark 0% (2)
Total votes: 1,123
[Mobile users click here to vote]